WILLES: On Buono, Lulay and the future for B.C. Lions

In this day and age there aren't many big shows that live up to the hype, but Sunday provided that rare exception: Nickelback really is that bad.

Now here's something else that’s wildly overrated: The musings and meditations on the world of sports.

■ Wally Buono nimbly sidestepped 3,000 questions about his future during Grey Cup week and he didn't break character on Monday. He did say the decision about returning to coach the Lions next year would be made before Christmas. Other than that, he volunteered nothing.

That just leaves an educated guess, and here's ours.

Last week, and even in the aftermath of the Leos' victory on Sunday, Buono appeared to be a man who was savouring this moment. His answers during the media sessions were thoughtful and poignant. He was calm and serene.

After the game, there was also a teary scene with his family on the field at B.C. Place and, in an unprecedented move, Buono asked the team to gather for a photo with the Grey Cup.

Add it all up and he seems to be a man who's made peace with himself and his decision. After 40 years in the Canadian game, he's earned that peace.

■ At the very least, Buono the GM will be around the Lions next season and his first priority will be signing Travis Lulay to a long-term deal.

Lulay, whose contract is set to expire at the end of 2012, is not only crucial to the immediate future of the Lions. He’s important to the future of the league.

Anthony Calvillo turns 40 next year. Henry Burris turns 37 and will likely be looking for work. Ricky Ray is still only 32, but the CFL is a quarterback's league and it needs young stars at that position.

This, however, is about more than Lulay the player. Lulay the man represents the kind of qualities the CFL is trying to sell because they’re the kind of qualities any business wants to be associated with. He's humble and self-deprecating. He's also accessible and articulate. He's confident but he wears it so easily, it's barely noticed.

He's just a good guy and there isn't one nanogram of BS about Lulay. His kind don't come around every day. Just ask Buono.

"Travis Lulay is everything that's good about sports," Buono said on Monday. "Sports are about dreams and goals; about work ethic and character. He’s all of those things."

■ We realize there are greater injustices in our world, but the selection of the Alouettes' Josh Bourke over B.C.'s Jovan Olafioye as the CFL's offensive lineman of the year was a frickin' joke.

It's going to look even worse next year when Olafioye is starting in the NFL.

■ This is the best thing about contrarian septuagenarians Joe Kapp and Angelo Mosca. Henceforth, whenever an old geezer snaps and throws a punch at someone, he will have "gone Kapp" on them. Or it will be said, "He Kapped." Or, "He pulled a Kapp."

Joe Kapp just became a verb. What an honour.

■ Lulay will be back next season. But the Lions are facing at least a half-dozen changes elsewhere on the team and that fact wasn't lost on the players as they packed up on Monday.

Olafioye is almost certainly bound for the NFL. All-star tackle Khalif Mitchell will get a long look south of the border, as will all-star linebacker Solomon Elimimian. Brent Johnson is expected to retire. Angus Reid might follow him. After Lulay, Buono’s biggest offseason decision might be Arland Bruce. And linebacker Anton McKenzie's deal also expires this offseason.

"That's the business of football," Buono said. "It doesn’t stop."

But it did make several of the Lions stop and think about the 2011 team and the wild ride they'd been on. It's hard to make the case for an 11-7 team but this might have been the best-ever edition of the Lions.

They had the league's best defence and quarterback. There are at least three surefire Hall of Famers on the team — Geroy Simon, Johnson and Paul McCallum — and a potential for two or three more. The Lions also won 12 of their last 13 games and their average margin of victory in those 12 wins was 17 points.

But, for these players, it wasn't about the numbers or the individual awards. It's what they built in coming back from their 0-5 start. "The '06 team might have had more talent," said Simon, referring to the Lions' previous Grey Cup champs. "But this is the best team I've ever played on."

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